An emotional roller-coaster of a gig, laugh and cry at the dark poetry and performance of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

★★★★★★ (6/5)

**NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS PERFORMING AT LEEDS FIRST DIRECT ARENA**
**PHOTOCREDIT: JOHN HAYHURST**

I’ll freely admit that I came late to the party for Neil Young, PJ Harvey and Nick Cave. In my youth they were just too boring and I didn’t understand the conveyed lyrical content and emotion of it all. It mostly went over my head, as I preferred the immediacy of a sweaty heavy metal show where you didn’t really have to think too much. Fast forward 40 years and there are tears running down my cheeks as Nick Cave is sat alone at a piano playing ‘Into My Arms’, I look to my left and right, and it’s the same for everyone else in this vast arena too.

This year I have seen both PJ Harvey (twice) and now Nick Cave, both shows will be in my top 5 of the year. Cave is known for his deep, poetic lyricism and a presence that straddles the line between preacher and rock legend, this night reaffirmed his place as one of the most compelling live performers I’ve ever seen.

Two of his Bad Seeds (Martyn Casey and Thomas Wydler) are absent due to illness, so Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood is filling in on bass and Swan’s Larry Mullins on drumming duty.

The stage set up is on several levels with each band member having their own distinct space, 4 backing vocalists in silver and black at the top, percussionist Jim Sclavunos and Carly Paradis on keys, then either side of a grand piano are guitarist George Vjestica and the outstanding chief collaborator that is Warren Ellis (– he deserves a review all of his own). Then there is Nick Cave’s area, which is basically the piano and the front of the stage, but there is a bridge to what would normally be the security barrier. Replacing it is a long narrow walkway on either side, and it is here that Cave will spend the majority of his time, holding hands and staring into the eyes of his immediate followers, pointing, gesticulating, screaming and conversing. The preacher to his devoted congregational flock.

Opening with ‘Frogs’ and ‘Wild God’ from the latter titled newest album that Nick Cave and his Bad Seeds will play most from tonight. The rest of the set list took 1 selection from 12 of his other albums and two from the album ‘Carnage’ that he recorded with Warren Ellis during Covid-19.

Warren Ellis, in particular, was a force of nature tonight, complementing Cave’s fierce presence with a symphony of sounds that ranged from mournful to manic. If he was sat playing a portable keyboard, he would rock backwards and forwards lifting his legs to the lilting beat. He would frequently play the violin as a guitar, whirling it around and then would jump on a seat to play some frenetic but beautiful piercing solos.

‘Jubilee Street’ came early in the set, showcasing that seamless dynamic between Cave and Ellis, whose virtuosic violin solos added layers of dramatic tension, especially when Ellis is stood on a chair swaying for all his worth and yet manages to stay upright. When Cave sang, “I’m transforming, I’m vibrating, I’m glowing,” it felt less a lyric and more an observation of his live metamorphosis.

It certainly wasn’t all ballads and doom, there was the amusing dedication of a song to the ‘Wild God’ in the audience who was wearing fake silver beard and hair, and then Cave realised that he was actually dressed as Warren Ellis “He’s your guy Warren” Cave said, which prompted another round of Ellis blowing kisses to the audience.

A highlight of the evening was the stark shift from the bombastic ‘Tupelo’ (a song about Elvis Presley being born on the night of a storm) to the euphoric piano led ‘Conversion’ where the backing vocalists truly come into their own, and then ballads like ‘Bright Horses’, where Cave’s voice took on a confessional tone, threading a needle of vulnerability through this cavernous Arena.

The way he engaged with the audience, making eye contact and reaching out to those in the front standing rows, made even the largest sections of this place feel intimately involved. ‘Conversion’ ends with Cave pointing at everyone and declaring “You’re Beautiful...You’re Beautiful” and those words are repeated in bold behind the stage.

Perhaps the most arresting moment was the performance of ‘I Need You’, stripped of any dramatic flourishes, Cave’s delivery was raw and exposed, with tears visibly pooling in the eyes of more than a few here. The way that ended with Cave repeating “Just Breathe...Just Breathe” and then a fade to black on the stage pulled listeners into the deepest corners of shared humanity. This is a 13,500 sold out arena and you could have heard a pin drop at that moment.

‘Red Right Hand’ was of course a favourite, and one that made the ‘balcony people’ stand up. The eerie organ introduction slithered through the speakers, setting the stage for a performance steeped in gothic grandeur. Nick Cave, illuminated by deep red spotlights that seemed to carve him out of the darkness, prowled across his walkway with a commanding presence. “On a gathering storm comes a tall handsome man, in a dusty black coat with a red right hand…” sends a few shivers down the spine, and I’ve not even watched an episode of Peaky Blinders. The song's refrain reverberated through the venue, with Cave prowling the stage like a dark prophet, arms outstretched as if to embrace or challenge the audience.

The encore included ‘The Weeping Song’, the repeated line, “This is a weeping song, a song in which to weep, but I won’t be weeping long” echoed like a mantra. Cave’s voice soared, filled with both defiance and resignation, while Ellis’s violin keened with a mournful, piercing quality that wrapped around the final chorus, pushing it into a crescendo that filled every corner of the arena.

Lots of people started to leave after that, assuming the concert was finished, but a solo Nick Cave came back on stage and sat at the piano and delivered a flawless version of ‘Into My Arms’.This was no ordinary performance, it felt as if Cave was singing directly to each individual, making a personal connection through the simplicity of his words and the raw emotion in his voice. Tears fell everywhere.

It was a night that would oscillate between intensity and introspection. Nick Cave remains one of music’s most vital live performers, even after decades in the spotlight. With his deep, commanding voice, poetic presence, and the unwavering support of his band, the Bad Seeds, Cave transformed the cavernous space of Leeds Arena into an intimate temple of raw emotion and cathartic release. The likes of which I have never seen before. If you only go to one concert this year, then make it to Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.